If...Only If
by Nevilla
Summary: Yet another chapter has been loaded and it turns out Kida likes Milo as much, MUCH more than a friend.....
1. The Saga Begins

If...Only If  
  
Milo Thatch cynically flipped through the pages of the Journal for what seemed the one-millionth time, which it may have well been. His neck had a terrible crick and his back was stiff from leaning over to read. His eyes were tired and heavy and he felt completely drained. He had been keeping his eyes on the pages of the Journal ever since everything had settled down and he had taken care of all necessary business. Of course, he was the new ruler.  
  
But, unfortunately, he was the only one who knew that.  
  
Besides that, he and Kida, despite the hand-holding and looks of lust, they had sunk back into a depressing friendship. Of course, they were still great friends, but when you're a young male and you're best friend is the most gorgeous, radiant woman you've ever seen AND all she wears is a skinny bathing suit way ahead of 1914 style bathing suits, well, it can be a bit depressing sometimes. But Milo was all right with it. Well, mostly all right with it. At least she didn't hate him, right?  
"Still looking, I see. Don't you ever get tired of reading the same thing?"  
"Of course." Milo didn't even have to look up, he could read that voice any day, "It's my job, Kida."  
"It WAS your job. Now your job is to loosen up and have some fun. Come on, let's go swimming."  
"I'd love to," and he really would have, "But I have to finish this chapter."  
"Why do you read it over and over again?"  
"Because…" he looked up at her, "I want Atlantis to be the best. I want it to be-"  
"Perfect, which it already is. I don't think the entire city will go to ruins if you go with me just to swim."  
"Kida…"  
"Okay, we'll wade."  
Milo rolled his eyes.  
"A walk?"  
"No."  
"Around the palace?"  
"No."  
"Please?"  
"No."  
"Please?"  
"No."  
She ran a hand along his cheek, "Pu-leeze?"  
"Okay. Sounds good."  
  
They didn't take a walk, however. She talked him into a swim. Actually, all she did was rub his side accidentally when asking, but it worked.  
They played around, dunking each other and such, when Kida went under for a really long time.  
"Kida? Kida? What are you doing? Kida?"  
Finally, she popped back up, holding something covered in algae in her hand.  
"I have something for you…"  
"What is it?" he smiled as she pulled his hand up and placed whatever it was in it.  
He dug the algae off with his fingernails, "It's a key."  
"I know. Come on. I will show you where it leads."  
So, they got out, Milo pulled his pants and shirt on quickly and ran after Kida, as she was much faster than him.  
She ran back to the palace, grabbed his hand and led him down some stairs. She smiled the entire way, as if she had a very good secret that she didn't want to expose to anyone but him.  
Soon the light faded and only every so often would a torch be placed here or there. But after that, even the torches were not seen. They had plunged into complete darkness and Milo's only hope was to keep holding Kida's hand.  
Then she opened a door and light spilled all over her and Milo and the small room. It held only three things: a lantern, a table and a box on the table.  
"Where are we?" Milo questioned.  
"Far below the city. Come, open the box. I found it only a few days ago."   
"Uh…what is it?"  
"You're the explorer. Why don't you find out yourself?"  
"Well, I…" but as he saw her put her hands on her hips and smile at him, he stopped babbling and nodded.  
He went over and slowly took the lid off the box. It held one piece of paper, folded in two. He squinted back at Kida, who showed with a hand wave for him to keep looking. He looked back and picked up the paper and unfolded it. He gasped. Kida smiled.  
"It's the…it's the…the…how did you-I can't believe-wow!" his face hurt he was smiling so hard; he blurted out, "It's the missing page!!"  
"I know!" she smiled as she saw how happy he was.  
"I-I could kiss you! But I won't because I…I wouldn't do that. But wow! How did you ever-I can't believe this!" he smiled and hugged her, picking her up off the ground by a few inches in the process.   
She laughed as he put her back down, "Now you have something new to read."  
"Yes, yes I do. But right now…I couldn't…you and I…we need to walk or-or something. How can I thank you?"  
"You just did. And don't worry about it."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, go ahead and read."  
He cheered like a little kid at Christmas. He eagerly sat on the table and read it over and over and over until he was content for the time being. Kida sat beside him, looking at the words she couldn't read.  
"What does it say?"  
"All kinds of things!" then he looked up at her, "Here…I'll show you something." He turned the paper over, took out his trusty pen and wrote K-I-D-A in Atlantean. Then he handed it to her.  
She stared at it blankly, "What is it?"  
"It's your name! Kida."  
She smiled, "My name?"  
"Yes."  
"You mean…you can spell things like my name?"  
"Yes."  
"Could you spell Milo?"  
"Yes."  
"How about baloney?"  
"Yes, I can spell that." He smiled.  
"Teach me." She commanded, grabbing his arm, "Teach me more."  
"I will. Tomorrow. Today, we celebrate."  
She smiled, "Let's go back up stairs."  
"Yes; it's cold down here."  
They did, but when they reached the palace's main floor, they saw that someone was waiting for them, and it wasn't good news.  
  
A/N: Yes, I know it hasn't really picked up much yet, but it will. The person is not who you think it is and it seems impossible they would show up. Trust me, it gets better. Please tell me if I should continue. And yes, I don't own anything. :)  



	2. Helga arrives

Milo's mouth gaped open and Kida squinted, unbelieving at the sight. Milo stepped forward about three steps, then stopped.  
"Thought you'd got rid of me, I see." The voice drew out, a smile coming over the face of no other than Helga Sinclair.  
"How…" Milo managed.  
"Don't worry. It's to late for me to go back. There's no way I could harm you."  
"Oh, no. There's no way you're staying here." Kida remarked.  
"You think you can stop me?" Helga asked.  
Kida narrowed her eyes.  
"Kida, why don't you just…just leave us?" Milo asked, a bit of pleading on his voice.  
"But I thought-"  
"Please, Kida?"  
"Alright." She left, but not before stabbing Helga with a look of utmost hate.  
Milo watched her go, then looked back at Helga, "Why have you come here?"  
"It was the only place to go." She remarked, walking out onto the balcony over the city.  
Milo followed her, "But…we all thought you were dead."  
"You would, wouldn't you? Yes, for a while, even I thought I was dead. But I didn't take an Army Survival Course for nothing. I've been trying to get here for two weeks."  
"What do you want of us?"  
She ignored his question, "The father gave you the throne, didn't he?"  
"I don't want to talk about it. I can't believe you could even speak of her father…after…after what you did."  
"Oh, Milo," she finally looked up at him, "That's the thing about you. You think you hate me, but you can't hate anyone. That's why I always liked you, I did like you, but of course, I didn't show it. For a while I…I even loved you. But I'd never show it. That's what they teach you in the Army. You show emotions, you lose. We all see how that actually worked out, didn't we?"  
Milo stood there, trying to take all this in. Helga? Loving someone? And HIM, of all people? It was all very strange, but he was alright with it, he supposed.  
His eyes softened a bit, "Come on. You must be really tired. And hungry. Come in; you'll stay with us until I figure out what to do."  
  
Milo got Helga something to eat and sent her into a bedroom with it. He then went back down to the main balcony, where Kida now sat, looking out on the kingdom. When she saw him, she gave him an icy glare, then turned back around. He scratched the back of his neck nervously and rubbed his chin, making a mental note that he needed to shave.  
"Kida, she didn't have anywhere to go; we couldn't just send her away."  
"She tried to kill me and my people. All she cared about was herself."  
"Here's the way I look at it: she's stuck here, so there's no way she can steal the crystal because she can't leave."  
"She'll think of something."  
"Kida, just give her a second chance-"  
"She doesn't deserve one. I hate her; I don't want anything to do with her. And I can't believe you-you of all people, would let her back in to the city."  
"Kida, I-"  
She stood up, "No, don't talk to me. I don't want anything to do with you, either." Then she turned and stalked out.  
Milo watched her go out and knew there was only one thing to do: sleep it off.  
  
The next morning, Milo awoke early enough to make sure Helga had no contact whatsoever with Kida. He knew that wouldn't go well and was afraid of what Kida would do and what Helga's reaction would be.  
"Helga?" he opened Helga's bedroom door timidly, "You awake?"  
  
He saw she was awake. She stood at the mirror in her same old clothes, brushing out her hair and tying it up.  
"Helga, listen, we've got to figure something out…"  
"About what I said yesterday…" she turned around, she obviously wasn't one for hellos and continued, "I shouldn't have said the whole thing about me loving you, it was uncalled for. I'm sorry."  
"It…it's fine." Milo had almost forgotten; but of course, he hadn't.  
"Now what was it you were saying?"  
"Helga, I'm going to be frank with you because I know you can take it, but…Kida's not exactly…excited that you're here."  
"Nor would she be. To her I'm probably just a blood-sucking American that she never knew."  
"That's…about right." Milo said.  
"And let me guess…now she's mad at you also because you showed me compassion."  
"Yes, you're exactly right. How'd you know that?"  
"People are all the same, Milo, just different faces. I can read a person quicker than the heart can beat."  
"Oh, well…that's a good talent, I suppose."  
"Well, I guess it's-" but suddenly, she starting to go into a hacking cough that made even Milo feel sick.  
"Are…are you alright?" he asked, as she started to calm down.  
"Yes, I'll be fine…it's nothing, really."  
"It didn't sound like nothing. It sounds terrible."  
"Well, how would you sound of you'd been stuck in a dark hole for days?"  
"I…" he ignored her, "It sounds like you have water in your lungs."  
"Oh, been taking lessons from Sweet, I see."  
"No, seriously, it doesn't sound good."  
"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."  
There was a long silence, Milo simply looking at his feet and Helga looking at him.  
"I tried to save you, you know." He said, and dared to look up at her.  
"What?"  
"When you fell. I tried to grab you, but I couldn't."  
"Why would you do that? After…after you knew that I wanted to destroy Atlantis just so I could be rich?"  
"I couldn't just let you die." He said simply.  
"Oh, please." She suddenly turned back into her hard-rock self, "I can't believe you. That just shows you what a monster I am."  
"Huh?"  
"I wouldn't have reached out for me if I had been you. I would have let me go. I deserved it."  
"Seems like being in a hole has really changed you."  
"Shut up." She said, pushing him rather hard, though it didn't seem hard to her.  
He rubbed his shoulder where she had pushed, "Well, I'd better go find Kida. I don't want her to be mad at me forever. I've been given the power to live for thousands of years and I don't want to spend it with someone who hates me."  
Helga simply nodded and let him go. What he didn't know about her. She was sick, terribly sick. But he didn't need to know. No one did. No one cared enough to know, anyway. Nothing mattered now. Nothing but destroying Atlantis…once and for all.  
  
A/N: Hope you liked it, tell me if you didn't. Also, I need votes on this one. Should Milo fall in love with Helga or Kida? Please tell me, because I have two story lines and I need to know which one to go with. Thanx bunches. :) 


	3. The Bad New Is Out

Milo followed the path right outside the palace, knowing Kida would be there. It was her favorite path, even though she'd never admit that she liked it, as it was small, trees hanging low, with shade and small pools of water here or there and most of the fire bugs made there homes here.  
He got about half-way along the path, when he saw her, her back to him. She was hunched over, sitting on a rock, looking into a small pond. He walked over and stood over her, so she could see his reflection in the water.  
She turned swiftly and murmured, "I don't want to talk to you."  
"Kida, listen…"  
"No, I don't want to."  
"Look, you don't have to like her. Just let her be, alright?"  
She wouldn't look at him, "Fine." She said icily.  
"Don't be mad, Kida." He bent down before her, "Please."  
She shifted her position on the rock, rolled her eyes, "Stop it." She hid her face in her hair, hiding a small smile.  
"You're smiling…I knew you couldn't stay mad." He grinned.   
She looked back at him, "Not at you, anyway."  
He put his hand gently on her knee and she let it stay there. They simply looked at each other for a moment, but then she stood and so did he. Milo felt his cheeks go hot at the fact their noses were almost touching. He felt so angry at himself for blushing so easily. But then, he didn't have long to think about it as she pulled him into a kiss.  
Milo's whole body seemed to go into a tense shock and he was afraid to move. His brain shut down and all he could see were fireworks. When she pulled away, he was breathless.   
She smiled mischievously at him, but didn't say anything.  
"Kida…"  
"Shh-don't speak." She answered.  
"Alright." Was all he could manage to get out.  
  
When they got back, he made sure Kida was far away when he went to see Helga. Helga sat in the main sitting room, simply looking out the window.  
"How are you feeling?" Milo asked, his voice cutting through the silence.  
She looked up at him, "I'm fine. Sit."  
He did so.  
"Kida's not mad at me anymore, but, well, I can't say the same for you."  
"It doesn't matter. I have to tell you something."  
He looked at her nervously, for her voice sounded distant, "What is it?"  
"On my way here…I noticed something in the distance." She paused, then continued, "It was water. A large amount of water."  
"And?"  
"Milo…you don't know what I'm saying?"  
"What?"  
"Atlantis is going to disappear into the sea if we don't do something about it."  
Milo's mouth gaped open, "But…how?"  
"Trust me, Milo, I'm not creative enough to make something like this up. You have to do something now, before it's to late."  
"But what can I do?"  
"I don't know. I have to go."  
"Where are you going?"  
"I have…an appointment."  
"An appointment?" Milo demanded, "With who? What's going on? If you're making this up, it's not funny and it sure isn't going to make Kida like you anymore than she does now."  
She turned stood up and looked into his eyes and said in a voice so sincere, not a trace of a lie could be found in it, "Believe me or die, Milo Thatch." And with that she walked out to her 'appointment'.  
Right away, Milo fell into a panic stage. How could he deal with this? Was it true? How could it be? It didn't make sense. When would it be here? Exactly how much water was it? Why? Why, why, why?  
He couldn't tell Kida. Not now. He was too afraid of the reaction he'd get from her. He was too scared to even think about it. Why couldn't things just be simple? He just couldn't-  
  
"Milo…are you alright?"  
He jumped as he turned around swiftly, "Kida!"  
"Are you alright?" she repeated.  
"No-I mean…yeah, I'll be alright."  
She smiled and went over behind him and massaged his neck lightly, "Feeling any better?"  
"Kida, please don't…"  
"Don't what? You looked stressed and I'm trying help."  
"No, you're coming on to me."  
She smiled, though he didn't see it, "What if I am?"  
His eyes widened, his cheeks turned to balls of fire and he jumped up, "Kida, please…I can't deal with that now…"  
"It's that Helga, isn't it?"  
"No, it's not her…it's just that-"  
"Milo, don't be nervous. Don't you love me?"  
"Yes, I do, but that's not what I'm talking about-"  
She kissed his neck, pulling him close to her and shushed him. Somehow his hands found their way to her hips and his breathing became heavier.  
"Kida…I can't…"  
She kissed him deeper than before, with an invitation inside that kiss. As she pulled away, Milo tried to concentrate, tried to stay in control of himself, but then he found himself kissing her. He just couldn't stop. He had waited for this and he couldn't stop himself. He just kept kissing her and suddenly, his hands were going wherever they wanted to and he couldn't think and everything was fuzzy and she was kissing back and the room was getting hotter and hotter and he couldn't breath and he couldn't stop, he knew he couldn't.   
"Milo…" she whispered in his ear, "Milo…"  
It brought him back to realization and he regretfully somehow pulled away from her.   
She opened her eyes and blinked at him, obviously hurt. Her eyes questioned him.  
"Atlantis is going into the sea again." He blurted out. He decided to leave Helga out of it, took a deep breath and said the following in about ten seconds, "I saw lots and lots of water far off from the city, but it's headed straight for us and there's nothing we can do because I can't think of anything and who will be able to and there's no where to go and I didn't want to stop, I really didn't because I love you, I love you so much and I thought you didn't love me and it drove me crazy because you're so beautiful and I thought…I thought-but I had to, because we're all going to die if I don't somehow figure something out and I don't know how I'm going to figure something out I can't do that and as long as I'm confessing I have to tell you I'm the king, your father passed the throne to me right before he died and I'm the king, I'm the king and I can't be the king because look at me, I'm a total mess and I'm just some guy who's scared to death. There, I said it! I said it!" he finished breathlessly, as if he had been able to hold it in no longer.  
Kida stared at him for a moment, trying to take it all in. Then she sat down, "That's a lot to take in in ten seconds."  
He sat down beside her, "Sorry."  
"No, I'm glad you told me. That's a lot to hold in." she remarked.  
The two sat there in silence for a minute or two, but then-  
"So what DO we do?" Kida asked softly.  
"I guess…we'll wait and see."  



	4. The Bad News Is Out

Milo followed the path right outside the palace, knowing Kida would be there. It was her favorite path, even though she'd never admit that she liked it, as it was small, trees hanging low, with shade and small pools of water here or there and most of the fire bugs made there homes here.  
He got about half-way along the path, when he saw her, her back to him. She was hunched over, sitting on a rock, looking into a small pond. He walked over and stood over her, so she could see his reflection in the water.  
She turned swiftly and murmured, "I don't want to talk to you."  
"Kida, listen…"  
"No, I don't want to."  
"Look, you don't have to like her. Just let her be, alright?"  
She wouldn't look at him, "Fine." She said icily.  
"Don't be mad, Kida." He bent down before her, "Please."  
She shifted her position on the rock, rolled her eyes, "Stop it." She hid her face in her hair, hiding a small smile.  
"You're smiling…I knew you couldn't stay mad." He grinned.   
She looked back at him, "Not at you, anyway."  
He put his hand gently on her knee and she let it stay there. They simply looked at each other for a moment, but then she stood and so did he. Milo felt his cheeks go hot at the fact their noses were almost touching. He felt so angry at himself for blushing so easily. But then, he didn't have long to think about it as she pulled him into a kiss.  
Milo's whole body seemed to go into a tense shock and he was afraid to move. His brain shut down and all he could see were fireworks. When she pulled away, he was breathless.   
She smiled mischievously at him, but didn't say anything.  
"Kida…"  
"Shh-don't speak." She answered.  
"Alright." Was all he could manage to get out.  
  
When they got back, he made sure Kida was far away when he went to see Helga. Helga sat in the main sitting room, simply looking out the window.  
"How are you feeling?" Milo asked, his voice cutting through the silence.  
She looked up at him, "I'm fine. Sit."  
He did so.  
"Kida's not mad at me anymore, but, well, I can't say the same for you."  
"It doesn't matter. I have to tell you something."  
He looked at her nervously, for her voice sounded distant, "What is it?"  
"On my way here…I noticed something in the distance." She paused, then continued, "It was water. A large amount of water."  
"And?"  
"Milo…you don't know what I'm saying?"  
"What?"  
"Atlantis is going to disappear into the sea if we don't do something about it."  
Milo's mouth gaped open, "But…how?"  
"Trust me, Milo, I'm not creative enough to make something like this up. You have to do something now, before it's to late."  
"But what can I do?"  
"I don't know. I have to go."  
"Where are you going?"  
"I have…an appointment."  
"An appointment?" Milo demanded, "With who? What's going on? If you're making this up, it's not funny and it sure isn't going to make Kida like you anymore than she does now."  
She turned stood up and looked into his eyes and said in a voice so sincere, not a trace of a lie could be found in it, "Believe me or die, Milo Thatch." And with that she walked out to her 'appointment'.  
Right away, Milo fell into a panic stage. How could he deal with this? Was it true? How could it be? It didn't make sense. When would it be here? Exactly how much water was it? Why? Why, why, why?  
He couldn't tell Kida. Not now. He was too afraid of the reaction he'd get from her. He was too scared to even think about it. Why couldn't things just be simple? He just couldn't-  
  
"Milo…are you alright?"  
He jumped as he turned around swiftly, "Kida!"  
"Are you alright?" she repeated.  
"No-I mean…yeah, I'll be alright."  
She smiled and went over behind him and massaged his neck lightly, "Feeling any better?"  
"Kida, please don't…"  
"Don't what? You looked stressed and I'm trying help."  
"No, you're coming on to me."  
She smiled, though he didn't see it, "What if I am?"  
His eyes widened, his cheeks turned to balls of fire and he jumped up, "Kida, please…I can't deal with that now…"  
"It's that Helga, isn't it?"  
"No, it's not her…it's just that-"  
"Milo, don't be nervous. Don't you love me?"  
"Yes, I do, but that's not what I'm talking about-"  
She kissed his neck, pulling him close to her and shushed him. Somehow his hands found their way to her hips and his breathing became heavier.  
"Kida…I can't…"  
She kissed him deeper than before, with an invitation inside that kiss. As she pulled away, Milo tried to concentrate, tried to stay in control of himself, but then he found himself kissing her. He just couldn't stop. He had waited for this and he couldn't stop himself. He just kept kissing her and suddenly, his hands were going wherever they wanted to and he couldn't think and everything was fuzzy and she was kissing back and the room was getting hotter and hotter and he couldn't breath and he couldn't stop, he knew he couldn't.   
"Milo…" she whispered in his ear, "Milo…"  
It brought him back to realization and he regretfully somehow pulled away from her.   
She opened her eyes and blinked at him, obviously hurt. Her eyes questioned him.  
"Atlantis is going into the sea again." He blurted out. He decided to leave Helga out of it, took a deep breath and said the following in about ten seconds, "I saw lots and lots of water far off from the city, but it's headed straight for us and there's nothing we can do because I can't think of anything and who will be able to and there's no where to go and I didn't want to stop, I really didn't because I love you, I love you so much and I thought you didn't love me and it drove me crazy because you're so beautiful and I thought…I thought-but I had to, because we're all going to die if I don't somehow figure something out and I don't know how I'm going to figure something out I can't do that and as long as I'm confessing I have to tell you I'm the king, your father passed the throne to me right before he died and I'm the king, I'm the king and I can't be the king because look at me, I'm a total mess and I'm just some guy who's scared to death. There, I said it! I said it!" he finished breathlessly, as if he had been able to hold it in no longer.  
Kida stared at him for a moment, trying to take it all in. Then she sat down, "That's a lot to take in in ten seconds."  
He sat down beside her, "Sorry."  
"No, I'm glad you told me. That's a lot to hold in." she remarked.  
The two sat there in silence for a minute or two, but then-  
"So what DO we do?" Kida asked softly.  
"I guess…we'll wait and see."  



	5. The Plan

Milo watched Helga from above as she walked back into the palace. His face was deprived of it's usual look of curiosity and brilliance. Now, his face was tired and with no emotion. His eyes were dead and his mouth hung loosely in a frown. Kida was nowhere to be found.  
"Helga?" he walked down the stairs, his joints fighting against him, "Helga?"  
She saw him and she, too, didn't look in the best of spirits. She was paler than usual and didn't say a word to him, only looked at him sadly.  
"Milo…I-I need to talk with you."  
"Yes?" he asked half-heartedly.  
"Please listen to me." She said and Milo looked up with alarm as he noticed the plead in her voice.  
"What is it?"  
She sat down and he followed, sitting across from her around the small round table. She took his arm and grasped it and looked at him.  
"I went to see one of the doctors. You were wrong. I don't have water in my lungs."  
"Well, that's good, right? Right?"  
She shook her head, "Milo, I'm dying."  
"What?"  
"I'm dying. I only have a few hours left."  
"What?"  
"Save Atlantis, Milo and do not be afraid. Kida will help you."  
"But, Helga…"  
"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to rest."  
"But you're so young-"  
"Milo, don't make it harder. Just go. Go find a way to save this city. Do it...do it for your grandfather."  
He looked down and stood, "What can I say?"  
"Good-bye is enough." She smiled weakly.  
He nodded, squeezed her shoulder and walked out with a tired stride.  
  
He strolled down the corridor sadly, thinking that soon, this would all be under the sea. It's beauty would be gone. A whole civilization…vanished, murdered by nature. He looked down at the Journal, which lay on a table where he had left it. He frowned at it and felt a strange rage inside of him that made it so that he had to do something. If he didn't, he would explode. He picked up the book and hurled it at the opposite wall. The large THUD it made as it hit the wall gave him some satisfaction, but then, made his heart ache. He knew what he had to do, but not how he was going to do it.  
  
"Kida…I have to ask you some questions now. I know it's going to be hard, but I have to do it if we're going to see tomorrow."  
"I…I don't know."  
"Listen to me, Kida. Breath."  
"Okay. I'm alright."  
"Do you remember when Atlantis went into the sea?"  
"No. Yes. I-not much."  
"What do you remember?"  
"People…screaming…babies crying…children being taken away…being saved…they wouldn't save the older ones…mother…my mother…"  
"What about her?"  
"She was holding my hand…and then she…then she…it came down…" a tear ran down her face, "It came down…"  
"What? What came down?" when she didn't respond, "Kida?"  
"Light…white light…mother lost her grip…she tried to grab at me…she tried to grab my hand…she tried to…" her shoulders were shaking as she tried to hold the tears in and her voice shaking, "She got my bracelet…she was gone…" she started to tremble.  
"Tell me what happened, Kida, tell me more."  
"My father took me…in his arms…my father…" she seemed to reminisce on this.  
"Kida…" he said it softly, gently, as if soothing her.  
"And he took me away…he said I reached up…for my…for my mother…and he took me…somewhere…to these things…and…all I remember then was…screams…blood-curling screams…murder…people running everywhere…then it got dark…we watched from a window…it got dark…water…so much water…screams…but then…it was quiet…it was so quiet…so many lost…my mother…" she tried to hold it in, but couldn't any longer. She seemed to burst with tears and loud, painful sobs, drawing in air through each one as if she was drinking blades. Milo put his arms around her and she pounded in grief on his chest.  
"Why did they have to die?" her voice muffled from tears and being pushed into his chest.  
But he didn't respond. He just let her pound at his chest without even flinching. He ran a hand through her hair, but she kept sobbing.  
She started to ramble on, still muffled, "I know where it is…we could find it…we could find the pods…and then we could save us…we could…we could…"  
"Where are they?" he asked softly, but she didn't answer, she just continued to cry, spilling out grief she had been holding in since her mother had died.  
"You don't have to be strong anymore." Milo muttered and she seemed to calm down a little.  
But for now, there would be no more questions. All Milo could do was comfort her and think of a plan. And that's what he did.  
  
A few hours later, after Kida had calmed down, she went and made the official announcement to the Atlanteans, while Milo flipped through the Journal frantically. If he looked out the window, he could see the water far off, coming right for them.  
"That Journal won't help you now." He heard Kida's soft voice behind him. She took the Journal from his grasp and held onto his wrists, "Only you can save us. You did it once, now do it again. You must, Milo, you must."  
He stared at her for a moment or two, then turned and looked out on Atlantis. His eyes hardened.  
"I'll need some wire and…this." He pulled out Kida's father's crystal from his pocket, "And the fastest transporter you've got: Baylokh."  
"What?"  
"Get down to the engineers of the city and fast. Tell them you need a Bayokh at the palace NOW. Go, quick!"  
She nodded and sprinted off around the corner. After he was sure she was on her way, he went to Helga.  
"Helga? Helga?" he went into her bedroom, hoping there would be an answer.  
"Yes?" a voice came from the bed next to the window.  
Her voice was raspy now, and she seemed to be totally drained. She had turned tremendously pale, so that you could almost see her veins and she didn't have the strength to look at him, she could only stare at the ceiling. He was almost too late.  
"Helga, do you still have that controller to the ship?"  
"What? Milo?"  
"Helga, I need that controller."  
"Bag." She answered slowly.  
Milo hurried to her bag and dug out the small controller.  
"Helga, you just saved Atlantis." He whispered, stroked her cheek and ran out. He would have to take it from here.  
  
A/N: Well? How am I doing? The next part will probably be the end. Anyway, tell me how I'm doing, just in case I'm sinking into bad writing. Thanks.  
  
  
  



End file.
